"Deep and thorny regulatory thicket" slowing advanced biofuels development, says study

In Oregon, a new study in the journal Bioscience shows that a “deep and thorny regulatory thicket” is getting in the way of advanced gene modification methods being properly utilized to get cellulosic ethanol development to commercial scale. The study says major regulatory reforms and possibly new laws are needed to allow cellulosic bioenergy to reach its true potential as a form of renewable energy, and in some cases help reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. The researchers from Oregon State University claim the GM plants are treated as far more dangerous than foreign, potentially invasive species, which is getting in the way of their use as biofuel feedstocks.

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